Traffic School
by Lady Dudley
Summary: Jackie can handle anything that motherhood throws at her, except for the dreaded Kindergarten outing to traffic school


**A/N: This came to me when the little girl I was looking after went on a Kindergarten outing to the local traffic school (not sure if these are universal, but they are now...). It wasn't quite as harrowing experience as I made it out to be here, but then I only had a 3 y.o. to look after. Hope you enjoy!! :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

Jackie suppressed a long suffering sigh as, once again, she found herself at the Kindergarten day out to the local traffic school.

Ever since she had first come to the place with Jimmy she had considered it her worst nightmare. There were children _everywhere_, all riding their bikes in organised chaos. The little ones weren't so bad, but their older siblings zipped around the place like nobody's business and, more often than not, showed a complete disregard for the road rules they were supposed be learning.

The other problem Jackie had with the place was that over the years she'd had more and more children to look after. Nerys had been a baby when she'd first come with Jimmy, then when it had been Nerys' turn there were three of them to consider. After it had been Ebony's turn, and she'd had three school age children and a toddler to watch over, she'd sworn to herself that she would never walk through that gate again.

What she hadn't counted on was the unplanned pregnancy that resulted in her fifth child, Andrew.

Looking around at the pandemonium before her Jackie decided that this was all Michael's fault. He was, after all, the father of her children and she had decided after coming here with Nerys that he should be the parent to come along to the next one. Yet Michael always seemed to have something else on.

Suspicious that.

Especially now that he was a Detective Superintendent and should have been able to avoid said entanglements and besides it had been _his_ idea to sneak off early during the celebration for his promotion that had resulted in Andrew.

Jackie, therefore, considered it only fair that he be here instead of her, anyway _she'd_ all ready been through it four times. Michael's glib comment that she "_make it an uneven five_" had almost resulted in his morning coffee being poured over his head.

Jackie cringed slightly as she watched 14 year old Jimmy shoot around the place on his bike, narrowly avoiding the little ones, closely followed by 9 year old Katie. 12 year old Nerys, bless her, was watching over the now 7 year old Ebony who was proudly riding her bike without any training wheels. That still, however, left Jackie with 3 year old Andrew.

Not to mention the seeming hundreds of other toddlers and school age children all on their bikes and attempting to manoeuvre around the course.

Jackie sighed as she prepared herself for the task at hand.

Two hours (which, to Jackie, felt closer to twelve) later, Jackie rounded up all the children together and headed back home. Mercifully her children had made it out relatively unscathed (Jimmy had a bruised shin from Katie who had kicked him after he pulled her hair and Ebony had scraped her knee) and without causing any accidents (Jackie still shuddered over the last time they'd come and Katie had managed to cause a small pile up whilst chasing Jimmy the wrong way around the course).

Fortunately Michael, wisely, had chosen to come home early that night so that he was available to help get the five children bathed (or showered), fed and put to bed by their respective bedtimes. After which he came and sat down next to Jackie on the couch.

"Don't for one moment think that you're helping out tonight is going to make up for my having to go to the traffic school, _again_," Jackie warned him.

Michael gave her a sheepish grin, "Was it really that bad? The kids seemed to have had a good time."

"_Your_ children," Jackie began, making Michael wince, "had a lovely time; it's their mother who is exhausted."

Michael put his arm around her shoulders but she shrugged him off, "Don't touch me. This is all your fault."

Michael was flabbergasted, though he had a pretty good idea about just _why_ it was she was blaming him.

"If _you_ hadn't decided to sneak home during that party-"

_Here we go_, Michael thought to himself, putting both of his hands in his lap and trying to look repentant.

"-_I_ wouldn't have had to go through another night of horror at traffic school."

"I seem to remember you were a willing participant in the sneaking out, Mrs. Jardine," Michael reminded her, causing Jackie to pull a face at him, "besides, I fail to see how going to a traffic school can be a 'night of horror,'" he added.

"You try going to one with five children to keep track of and get back to me," Jackie muttered, still in a dark mood.

"Unfortunately that boat has sailed," Michael told her with mock regret, "unless you want to sneak off again?" he asked with a saucy grin and slight leer.

She elbowed him in the ribs, suppressing her own answering smile at his teasing, "No," she said, her tone still petulant.

Michael gave an exaggerated sigh of disappointment, "That's just too bad," he said, shaking his head regretfully.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're angry when you're beautiful?"* Michael asked her, breaking the silence that had descended.

Jackie looked at him like he had lost his mind as he leaned over and kissed her cheek, "Flattery will get you nowhere Michael," she warned him, yet she still allowed him to pull her closer.

"Well it _has_ succeeded in making me more comfortable," Michael replied in a smug tone as he shifted so that she was cushioned against his chest.

"Me too," Jackie admitted, allowing a small smile to peek through.

"Ah, I still have it," Michael teased with his a smile of his own as he noticed her smiling. Jackie stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed.

They sat, snuggled up together, on the couch until Jackie drifted off to sleep. Gently, so as not to wake her, Michael carried her up to their bedroom.

As he settled her down on the bed he pushed a wisp of hair off her face and kissed her forehead. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, Jackie, but I'm glad I did it," he whispered softly, before moving off to get ready for bed.

"You love me," she murmured sleepily, Michael froze.

"What?" he asked, stupefied.

"That's what you did to deserve me, you love me," she explained sleepily, before drifting back to sleep.

Michael shook his head slightly as he finished getting ready for bed, before crawling in beside Jackie and drifting off to sleep.

----

* I know the line is "beautiful when you're angry" but I heard it said this way once and I liked it :)

**A/N: Yes, I know, they breed like rabbits :P But I reckon Andrew's the last one :)**


End file.
